


Goddess Sent

by Tshilaba



Category: Death Note
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 19:09:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5303315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tshilaba/pseuds/Tshilaba





	Goddess Sent

The boy sighed heavily as he poked at his cereal.  
  
"You're thirteen years old, Mail. The Goddess should have given you a familiar by now," his mother, Agnes, said.  
  
Matt felt that if he never heard that again it would be too soon. "I know, Mother. But She hasn't. And you've always told me the Goddess works on Her own time."  
  
"She does. But you also have to be open to it as well. She can't bless you if you aren't willing."  
  
The red head rolled his eyes as his mother turned away and left him be.  
  
 _I really don't want a familiar, though_ , he thought to himself. _'Coz then it'll mean I'll have to go through the Coming of Age ceremony. I really don't want that..._  
  
"Now, we need to start planning your Coming of Age ceremony..."  
  
"Gah..." Matt sighed and pushed his chair away from the table and left the room, heading back upstairs to his room.  
  
Iggy was laying on his back on his bed, fiddling with something in his hands. The brunette smiled softly as his older brother walked in, though his eyes never left his swiftly moving fingers.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, it's just string, see?" The younger boy sat up and spread his hands wide enough to see the threads linking his fingers together.  
  
"What are you doing?" the red head asked, sitting down on his own bed.  
  
Anubis, Iggy's rat familiar, scurried over and settled into Matt's lap.  
  
"I'm trying to figure out how scientists can say there's a purpose to that quantum string thingie, and yet they insist Magick doesn't exist."  
  
Matt laughed. "Only you, Iggy. Only you."  
  
"What? Does that make any sense to you?" Iggy grew serious. "Mom's been badgering you about your lack of a familiar, hasn't she?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I don't see why," the brunette said, resuming his fiddling with the string. "The Goddess will bless you when She blesses you. There's no other way around it. You can't rush the Goddess. She works on Her own schedule."  
  
"I know... Move, Anubis." The red head pushed the rat gently. When it moved, he laid down on his side.  
  
After a few minutes of silence, Iggy said quietly, "Maybe you should call a circle and see if She'll tell you anything."  
  
"Yeah... Yeah, I think I'll do that. Thanks, bro," Matt said, getting up and leaving the room.  
  
"Don't mention it," the brunette murmered after the door shut.  
  
***  
  
Downstairs, the red head gathered up a few necessary things before storing them in his bag and heading outside.  
  
He always felt more in tune when he called a circle outside, though he didn't know why.  
  
Matt sighed softly as a soft breeze rustled through the clearing, ruffling his hair.  
  
Instead of calling a circle as he originally intended to, the red head sat down in the grass and leand back against a nearby tree.  
  
A bird tweeted in the branches above the boy.  
  
Matt glanced up at what turned out to be a small sparrow.  
  
"I wonder..."  
  
 _The sparrow doesn't worry. The Goddess provides for him. In that, he is satisfied. We should all strive to do the same_. High Priestess Moira's words echoed in his head.  
  
"That's it!" Matt cried, springing to his feet and running off.  
  
***  
  
"What are you going on about, Mail?" Agnes sighed.  
  
"What High Priestess Moira said," Matt insisted. "She said 'The sparrow doesn't worry. The   
Goddess provides for him. In that, he is satisified. We should all strive to do the same.' Don't you see, Mom? The Goddess _wil_ provide. And I'm satisified in that."  
  
The blonde sighed and then smiled softly. "Okay, sweetheart. You're right. She will provide. In the meantime, we'll wait."  
  
"Thanks, Mom."  
  
Agnes chuckled and pulled her son into a hug, kissing the top of his head. "You're welcome, honey. I'm sorry if I made you feel like, well, you know."  
  
The red head laughed. "It's alright. You were just worried."  
  
***  
  
Later that night, Matt sat in the basement, reading by candlelight.  
  
He flipped a page in the family's Book of Shadows.  
  
There was a rustling sound and he looked up suddenly.  
  
He peered into the shadows thoughtfully. "Anubis?"  
  
No response.  
  
The red head shrugged dismissively.  
  
The familiar was as quiet as his witch; it was no small wonder if he didn't answer when Matt called.  
  
Flipping another page, the red head re-absorbed himself in the Book.  
  
He didn't look up again until he felt someone, or something, staring at him.  
  
Matt met the icy blue eyes of a lithe black cat seated in front of him.  
  
There was a goldish mark on the feline's chest that, upon closer inspection, turned out to be cross shaped.  
  
"Hello," the red head said. "Are you lost, Kitty?"  
  
"No." The white tipped tail flicked slightly. "And my name is not Kitty."  
  
 _This cat's a familiar_ , Matt thought.  
  
Familars normally only spoke when spoken to, unless they served a specific witch.  
  
"S-sorry," the red head said. "My name's Matt."  
  
"Mello."  
  
The white tip was still flicking slowly.  
  
"So, um, then I'd guess you're my familiar?"  
  
"No, I'm your frigging guardian angel. Of course I'm your familiar! Jeez..."  
  
 _I thought familiars and their witches were s'posed to have similiar personalities like Mom and Toby, or Iggy and Anubis..._  
  
"Anyway. Shouldn't you introduce me to your family?"  
  
"What? Oh, uh, yeah." Matt stuffed the Book under his arm and started up the stairs, knowing the cat was following silently behind.  
  
The second they walked into the kitchen, Mello let out a fierce hiss.  
  
Anubis was sitting on the table nearby where Iggy and Agnes were doing a joint reading.  
  
The brunette's head snapped up and he put his arm out.  
  
The rat scurried up the outstretched arm and came to rest on the boy's shoulder comfortably.  
  
The cat growled, but didn't move.   
  
"Uh, Mom, Iggy, Anubis? This is Mello. Mello, this is my mom, Agnes, my little brother, Iggy, and his familiar, Anubis the rat."  
  
Mello snorted in disgust. "Guess that means I can't touch him. Where's your mom's familiar?"  
  
"Oh, Toby is out at the moment."  
  
The red head explained. "Toby's a barn owl. She usually sleeps during the day unless we need her to do something."  
  
"So, your brother has a rat, you mother has an owl. What does your father have?"  
  
"Risa the hawk."  
  
The cat rolled his eyes. "Typical. This'll be fun."  
  
"Um, Mail? Why don't you show Mello around the yard and get to know each other a little better while I prepare for your Coming of Age ceremony?"  
  
"Uh, sure, Mom," Matt said, eager to get out as the blonde started prattling on about how perfect it was gonna be, and turned for the door.  
  
***  
  
"So, what's this Coming of Age ceremony your mother mentioned?" Mello asked as they walked down the garden path. "That's not normal Wicca tradition."  
  
"Oh, yeah. See, our coven's just a bit different. When you're old enough to fulfill the initiation rite, you become a witch-in-training until the time the Goddess sees fit to bless you with a familiar. Once you get a familiar, it proves that the Goddess sees you as ready to become a full witch. Hence the 'coming of age'."  
  
"Interesting." The cat leaped over a small puddle before continuing. "How old are you?"  
  
"Thirteen."  
  
"And have you found any love interest?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Mello rolled his eyes. "Do you like anyone?"  
  
"Not really," Matt replied.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, most of my friends aren't in the coven."  
  
"How big is your coven?"  
  
"Oh, there's my family, and the families of a few close family friends. And then our High   
Priestess Moira."  
  
"What's her familiar?"  
  
"A tarantuala. She's always been know for attracting spiders."  
  
"I see... So why are your friends not being in the coven a problem?"  
  
"Because, I...Well, I don't like any of them like that."  
  
"Or the ones you do bat for the other team."  
  
"How the hell do you know colloquialisms like that?"  
  
"What? Do you think we familiars just sit by the Goddess' side until we're needed here? Nope. We get free run of this world until She needs us. But we don't get the ability to speak until we're called."  
  
"So you're just normal animals unless you're called to be familiars?"  
  
"Pretty much. Of course, I'm a bit different. But," the cat pounced on a mouse quickly, "that, is a different story for a different time." He bit into the mouse and proceeded to eat.  
  
***  
  
"Mail! Hurry! You don't want to be late!" Agnes called up the stairs.  
  
Matt groaned as he tugged the ceremonial robes over his head.  
  
"Uh, vermillion?"  
  
"Yes, vermillion," the red head sighed.  
  
"You do realize that clashes horribly with your hair, don't you?"  
  
"Yes, I am well aware of that," Matt grumbled. "But it's the family color, so I have to wear it.   
And what the hell do you know about fashion?"  
  
The white tipped tail flicked. "A lot, actually. But as I've said..."  
  
"Different story for a different time. I know."  
  
"MAIL!"  
  
"I'm coming! C'mon, Mello, let's go."  
  
Once they made it downstairs, Agnes immediately started fussing over her son.  
  
"Wait," Iggy said quietly, coming over and slipping the emerald amulet over his brother's head.   
  
"Oh, yes. Your amulet. Now, your familiar needs to be on your shoulder, Mail."  
  
"I...don't think Mello's gonna go for that," Matt said warily.  
  
"Oh, poppycock!" the blonde said, reaching down and promptly lifting the cat off the floor.  
  
Mello growled pointedly.  
  
"Oh, fine." She set the cat back down where he flicked his tail pointedly and sat down.  
  
The red head rolled his eyes. Typical.  
  
"Okay, okay. Let's go," Agnes insisted, tugging her sons' wrists.  
  
"Mom, Toby," Iggy said.  
  
"She'll come; don't worry."  
  
***  
  
"I'd like to welcome every witch here to the Coming of Age ceremony for Mail Jeevas," the raven haired woman in the long flowing cerulean robes said clearly.  
  
"Who's that?" Mello hissed.   
  
"That's our High Priestess, Moira."  
  
The cat nodded and then curled his tail around his paws haughtily.  
  
"Now, today is quite a special occasion. As all present know, we witches can only achieve our full potential once the Goddess has blessed us with a familiar. Mail, please come forward."  
  
The red head moved forward at the request, the cat trailing at his heels.  
  
"Where's your familiar, Mail?" Moira asked.  
  
"Here." Matt motioned toward Mello.  
  
"Ah. Can I ask that you sit on Mail's shoulder?"  
  
The cat nodded, though somewhat begrudgingly, and leaped gracefully onto the red head's right shoulder.  
  
"Now, in this wonderful rite of passage, we shall join familiar and witch with the blessing of the Goddess. What is your name, familiar?"  
  
"Mihael," Mello responded respectfully.  
  
The raven nodded. "I see. Now, by the power bestowed on me as High Priestess, I now join Mail and Mihael, witch and familiar, forevermore. Welcome to Lacrymosa Coven, Mail."  
  
"Thank you, High Priestess," Matt replied, nodding.  
  
The cat bowed his head as well.  
  
Chatter soon errupted amongst the surrounding witches; everyone wanted to congratulate the   
newly inducted witch.  
  
Iggy, however, had other plans for his older brother and pulled him aside quickly. "Matt, I think you should talk to Moira."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Anubis thinks it would be a good idea."  
  
"Oh, fuck that," Mello hissed, breaking the familiar's oath to never speak to another witch unless first spoken to. "If he thinks so, then he should say it, not send his witch to do it."  
  
"And if you even managed to get the Goddess' blessing then you would know full well that we familiars take an oath to never speak to a witch other than our own without being first spoken to!" Anubis snapped, his eyes flashing.  
  
"That's bullshit!" the cat snarled. "What's wrong with talking to another witch?"  
  
The rat just glared at the larger creature.  
  
"Okay, okay. Fine," Matt sighed in frustration. "Why do you think it would be a good idea for me to talk Moira?"  
  
"I think Morgana wishes to speak with Mello," Anubis said.  
  
"Oh, alright. Well I guess it can't hurt. Mello, come on."  
  
Mello bared his fangs at the rat before turning on his heel and following his witch, tail held high   
in the air.  
  
"Hey, Matt?"  
  
"Yeah, what is it?"  
  
The cat swallowed. "You're mad at me..."  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"No, what I did was out of line. I apologize."  
  
"Seriously, don't worry about it. C'mon, lemme carry you so you don't get lost with all these   
witches."  
  
"Kay."   
  
Mello allowed himself to be picked up. He settled down into the red head's arms, resting his on the crook of the boy's elbow. "Um...who's Morgana?"  
  
"Oh, Morgana is Moira's familiar. She's some sort of species of spider; tarantula I think. Perhaps you should ask her."  
  
When they found the High Priestess, she was seemingly wrapped up in conversation with a very important looking witch who kept puffing his chest out.  
  
"Shit," Mello muttered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"He was the witch that owned my mother. Beat the poor thing every day, he did. Always said she wasn't any good. She wasn't good enough to have offspring that would make good familiars. I _hate_ that bastard."  
  
"Remember the three-fold rule," Matt chided quietly. He saw the cat's tail lash irritably, but he made no further protest.  
  
Finally the man walked off in a huff and the raven haired witch turned around. "Oh, Matt." She smiled; she understood that his seeking her out had nothing to do with coven matters. "How can I help you, cariad?"  
  
The red head smiled slightly. "Iggy said that Anubis had a feeling I should see you," he said.  
  
"Oh, yes. Morgana has wished to talk to you. Follow me," she answered turning, her hair flowing out in a curtain, and walking towards the end of the auditorium. "Morgana. You wished to speak with this young witch?"  
  
"Ah. Yesss, Mistresss," the spider replied, hissing on her s's. "I wissshed to make an acquaintance with both the young witch and hisss familiar, yesss."  
  
"Okay," Matt said, that one word enough to give the familiar freedom to talk.  
  
"Why do you sound like a snake?" Mello asked curiously.  
  
"That, dear cat, isss truly unexplainable, it isss," Morgana replied. "I have alwaysss ssspoken like   
thisss. However, young Mail. I have a few questionsss for you, if you would be ssso kind as to answer them."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"You are how old, Mail?"  
  
"Thirteen."  
  
"And have you found your Goddessss sssent mate?"  
  
"Morgana!" Moira looked horrified that her familiar was asking.  
  
"Patience, Mistressss."  
  
"Oh, very well."  
  
"N-no, I haven't," Matt answered. "I haven't found them yet."  
  
"I sssee... Mihael, you are no normal familiar, are you?"  
  
"I... No, I'm not," Mello replied.  
  
"I thought ssso. Perhapsss it should be known, at least to usss four, what you truly are?"  
  
"Privacy, please?" the cat requested. "I can't have the secret getting out."  
  
"Very well," Moira said, holding out her arm for her familiar to scurry up to her shoulder. "Follow me."  
  
As the followed the woman to a private room, Mello said, "Um, Morgana? Exactly what kind of spider are you?"  
  
"I am from the Belgian Congo. I am thisss sssize because any larger and I could not perch upon my witch'ssss ssshoulder."  
  
"Oh. I-interesting."  
  
"It isss, isssn't it?"  
  
Matt rolled his eyes. _If I didn't know any better, I'd say this cat's scared of spiders._  
  
Once Moira had locked the door behind them, the cat leaped out of his witch's arms and landed on the floor. "I'm a cat, yes. But I'm not a normal one. It would be easier to show you."  
  
There was a small puff of purple smoke and when it cleared, a young blond boy, about the same height as the red head, stood where the cat had once been.  
  
"Ah, I ssssee. You are what isss often affectionately called a 'furry', am I right? You have a human and a cat form."  
  
"Yes, I do. It's quite a rare mutation, and nearly none that survive manage to become familiars. Usually we're labelled as abominations. That witch you were talking to before? He owned my mother. And he beat her every day. Because my sister and I were the only kittens she ever managed to concieve. He was convinced she had bad blood. My older sister, Misa, became a kit mother as well. Two of her first litter became familiars. How can we have bad blood if the Goddess still blesses us even now?" His voice cracked a bit near the end.  
  
"Mello..." Matt reached out to try to comfort him.  
  
"Don't touch me!" the blond snapped, jerking away. Black cat ears popped out of his hair and a white tipped black tail appeared. "It's-it's hard..."  
  
"What's hard, Mello?" Moira said gently.  
  
"It's hard...to control this form. My cat form is one thing, but my human... Whenever I get emotional this happens." He gestured to his ears and tail in frustration. "I still don't know why the Goddess chose me. I'm just a failure anyway. At least Misa can control her forms..." He let out a heavy sigh and slid to floor. "It's useless."  
  
"Mello, you're not a failure, okay?" the red head said, sitting down beside the cat boy. "The Goddess always provides. She'll provide for you, and She'll provide for me. The best we can do is be satisfied in that."  
  
"You don't get it, do you?"  
  
"Apparently I don't, so please enlighten me," Matt said.  
  
"Have you ever heard of love at first sight?"  
  
The red head cocked his head to the side curiously. "Mello, what are you saying?"  
  
"N-nothing. Forget about it," the blond muttered, looking away, but his ears twitched slightly.  
  
Matt frowned. _Why bring it up then?_  
  
"Anyway, Morgana and I have some business to attend to," the raven said. "So, we'll be seeing you later. Oh, and Mello? I'll be handling Mr. Rhetser personally for his mistreatment of one of the Goddess' chosen, okay? Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again."  
  
"Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again," the red head responded. When he turned back to Mello, a black cat stared back at him pointedly.   
  
"Can we go home now? I'm really tired."  
  
"Yeah, c'mon. Let's find Mom and Iggy." He scooped the cat up in his arms gently and left the room.  
  
***  
  
"By the Goddess, Mail, what did you do to the poor thing?" Agnes said.  
  
Mello was still curled up sound asleep on the red head's bed, exactly where Matt had placed him six hours before.  
  
Anubis was staring intently at the cat, his ears twitching slightly.  
  
"Iggy, what the hell's wrong with your rat?" the red head asked the younger boy once their mother had left the room.  
  
"Dunno," the brunette replied, staring at the ceiling. "Ask him. He hasn't told me anything."  
  
"Anubis, what's your problem?"  
  
"That's no normal familiar," the rat said bitingly.  
  
"Huh?" Iggy glanced at his familiar. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Just as I said. That is no normal familiar. Hey, cat!"  
  
Mello snuffled softly and woke up, yawning. "Wha' is i'?" he mumbled sleepily.  
  
"What are you?"  
  
"I'm a cat, what the fuck's it look like?" the cat snapped.  
  
"You're no normal cat."   
  
"Okay, look, rat," Mello snarled. "I've just about had it with your high and mighty attitude. I'm a cat, okay? C-A-T. Cat."  
  
"I know how to spell," Anubis ground out.  
  
"Okay then. Get it through your pea brain then. I'm tired of arguing with you. For fuck's sake, I was having a nice dream too, and you ruined it."  
  
Anubis' tail cracked against the lamp, shaking it it so hard it threatened to fall and break. "You are no normal cat!"  
  
"Oh for the love of all that's good, would it really hurt if you showed them?" Matt sighed. He'd never seen his brother's familiar this riled up and he was honestly scared of what the rat would do next.  
  
Mello grumbled irritably for a moment before there was a loud pop! and a puff of purple smoke. "Happy?" he said in frustration, his ears twitching in agitation.  
  
"You-you-you..."  
  
"Dear Goddes, I've rendered the rat speechless," the blond deadpanned. "Yes. I'm a furry. Kay, show's over. I'm going back to sleep. Maybe I can get that dream back..."   
  
In another puff of smoke, the cat was curled back up again, his side rising and falling steadily.  
  
"Well, now that that's over," the red head sighed. He crawled under his covers, barely shifting Mello at all. "I'm going to sleep. G'night."  
  
"Matt, you know furries aren't allowed."  
  
"Moira knows." With that said, he rolled over and went to sleep.  
  
Anubis snorted in contempt and scurried onto Iggy's pillow. "I hate that cat."  
  
The brunette sighed. "This isn't normal animal rivalry. But, Anubis, I'm sure Mello's not all bad. And the Goddess had to have had a reason for sending him into Matt's life. Try not to fight too much, okay?"  
  
The rat sighed. "Fine, Iggy. I'll try. I still don't like him though."  
  
***  
  
"Mail! Ignatius! Breakfast!"  
  
Mello groaned. "Why the hell does she call him 'Ignatius'?"   
  
"Because that's really my name. Iggy's just my nickname," Iggy answered.  
  
"Still think it's dumb," the cat grumbled. "And why is she waking us up so damn early?"  
  
"School," Matt answered. "C'mon, let's go down and eat breakfast."  
  
They all went downstairs.  
  
The brunette sighed softly as Anubis pulled a piece of toast halfway off the plate and started eating.  
  
"What am I supposed to eat?" Mello asked, looking to Matt.  
  
"Here," Agnes replied, setting a bowl of milk on the floor in front of the cat.  
  
Mello sighed and begin drinking quietly.  
  
A soft rustiling came through the window, catching everyone's attention.  
  
"Oh, hi, Toby," Matt said.  
  
"Hello, Mail," the owl replied, nodding. "Oh, I ate on the way home, Agnes, no need to worry."  
  
The blonde nodded and sat down to eat her breakfast.  
  
"You're Mail's familiar, Mihael, aren't you?"  
  
"I prefer the name Mello, but yes," the cat replied.  
  
"I get the feeling that you're no normal cat. You seem different."  
  
"I... Matt?" Mello glanced up at the red head.  
  
"Mmm, what is it?"  
  
"Would it be alright?" the cat asked.  
  
"I don't see why not," Matt answered, poking at his cereal. "Mom, Mello needs to show you   
something."  
  
"Okay..."  
  
Mello sighed softly and said, "I'm not a normal cat."  
  
There was a puff of smoke, and a blond stood in the cat's place, scuffing his foot against the floor, ears twitching.  
  
"Oh, you're a furry," Agnes said.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Well, there has to be some reason the Goddess sent you here, though we might not know it," the blonde said, smiling. "Why don't I fix you a real breakfast, dear?"  
  
"I...But furries aren't allowed," Mello protested.  
  
"And?" Agnes pulled a bowl from the cabinet. "The Goddess knows what She's doing." She picked up a box of Cocoa Puffs off the counter. "Do you like chocolate, sweetheart?"  
  
"Heh, yeah, I do."  
  
The blonde nodded, pouring the cereal into the bowl and pouring in the milk. She set the bowl and a spoon down on the table and smiled. "I do have one small request though."  
  
"Anything," Mello replied as he sat down.  
  
"While you're here, so long as we don't have guests, I'd like it if you could remain in that form."  
  
"But Mom," Matt said, looking at her. "He's about the same size as me. We only fit on my bed if he's a cat."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure you'll make it work, smartypants," she said, patting him on the head and walking out of the room.  
  
"This insane," Anubis grumbled to no one in particular.  
  
"What is?"  
  
The rat glared at the blond. "The fact that you're being treated like the son of the Goddess."  
  
"Hey. Anubis. Chill, man," Iggy said tiredly. "It's no use arguing."  
  
"Besides, young one," Toby interjected. "The cat is simply being treated fairly. I have always believed that the treatment of furries should be changed. Agnes has the right idea. And I'd advise you not to argue with what the Goddess wants. It's obvious She sent Mello here for a reason. Just...enjoy your breakfast." She flew through the doorway, following her witch.  
  
***  
  
Matt finished packing his bag and looked up at Mello. "Well, aren't you coming?"  
  
"To school?" the blond said. "But..."  
  
"Familiars are allowed in school, so long as they are unobtrusive," Iggy interjected. "Moira had a few issues a couple years ago, coz some people are scared of spiders."  
  
"And some are scared of rats," the red head supplied. "But luckily that's not as common. I don't think anyone's scared of cats, though."  
  
"So...I'll have to stay in my cat form all day?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
Mello shrugged, and with a puff of purple smoke, he took on his cat form and followed the others out of the room.  
  
***  
  
"So you walk to school every day?" the cat asked.  
  
"Yep," Matt answered. "Ten blocks there, ten blocks back."  
  
"That's why you're so skinny!" Mello joked.  
  
"No, actually, he's got a really high metabolism. Doesn't help that he hardly eats at all and when he's not studying or practicing magick he's playing video games," Iggy teased.  
  
"Oh, shut it," the red head shot back, playfully cuffing his younger brother.  
  
The cat chuckled. "You two are a mess."  
  
"We've been told," the boys said together, only pushing both cat and rat to laugh.  
  
"C'mon," Matt said. "We don't need to be late."  
  
The moment they walked into the door, a girl with cinnamon colored hair pulled up in pigtails and wearing a mauve pullover jacket came bounding up to them.  
  
"Hi Matt! Hi Iggy! Hey, Anubis. Oh, who's this cute little thing?"  
  
Mello shot his witch a curious look.  
  
The red head just grinned and said, "He's my familiar, his name's Mello."  
  
"Aww, that's a cute name!" the brunette replied.  
  
The cat blinked. "Cute? I'm not some frilly little dolly, yanno."  
  
"Heh. She thinks _everything_ is cute," Anubis replied.  
  
Matt laughed. "Be careful, Linda. Sometimes Mello can be easily irritated."  
  
"And he has a very foul mouth," the rat shot in.  
  
Linda just giggled. "Oh, that's fine. Most people get annoyed by me anyway. See you in Lit, Matt!"  
  
Mello watched her bounce off in disbelief. "What the hell?"  
  
"Well, I'll see you at lunch, bro," Iggy said, turning down a hall.  
  
The red head nodded in response and continued to his locker.  
  
As the boy sorted through his things, the cat settled down beside him, ignoring most of the   
compliments from passersby.  
  
"Is she a witch?" Mello asked.  
  
"Nope. Linda's not Wiccan. Her parents are Christian, practicing Baptists. But she knows I'm a witch, and she's been my friend since preschool."  
  
"So, it's okay for a familiar to freely talk to a non-witch?"  
  
"Put it this way, dude," Matt said, shutting his locker and locking it. "If Anubis does it, it's   
definitely allowed."  
  
The cat snorted contemptuously. "That damn rat's too straight laced."  
  
"Meh. It's how he is."  
  
Mello yawned. "Is it alright if I nap during your classes?"  
  
"Usually, the teachers prefer that. The bell should wake you up; if not, I'll just nudge you, okay?"  
  
The cat nodded. "Fine with me."  
  
***  
  
If one were to ask Mello, even napping, the day passed rather slowly. As he soon found out, Matt had eight different classes in a day, four in the morning and four in the afternoon, split by an hour long lunch break in the middle.  
  
Literature was the final class of the day.  
  
The cat yawned quietly and curled up, his tail falling softly over his nose, and listened to the teacher, whose name was Mr. Golden, lecture about Shakespearian poetry.  
  
"Now, as is obvious in Sonnet 14, Shakespeare's use of alliteration..."  
  
Mello frowned. That wasn't right. He nudged Matt's leg with his paw.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"That's not right," the cat said. "It's not Sonnet 14. It's Sonnet 18."  
  
"Are you positive?"  
  
Mello growled. "Yes. I'm positive."  
  
"Mail, is there a problem?" the teacher said.  
  
"Actually, Mr. Golden, it's not Sonnet 14, it's supposed to be Sonnet 18."  
  
"Mail, you haven't even paid attention to your book. How on earth would you know that?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Mail, you know your familiar is supposed to remain silent in my class. However, since your cat appears to have an interest in poetry, I'll let it slide. This time. You, cat. What's your name?"  
  
"Mihael."  
  
"Well Mihael. How are you so sure that it is Sonnet 18 and not Sonnet 14 that has alliteration?"  
  
"Because. If you don't believe me, check your book."  
  
The teacher frowned, before walking to his desk and flipping through the book for a few minutes.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Mr. Golden sighed. "Well, I'm surprised to say you're right. I apologize for doubting you. But please refrain from interjecting again. Do we have an understanding?"  
  
"Mm-hmm." The cat nodded. "I'll just nap."  
  
The teacher rolled his eyes but turned back to the blackboard to continue his lecture.  
  
***  
  
"You know, that was stupid," Matt hissed as they left the class an hour later.  
  
"Oh, whatever," Mello shot back, flicking his tail dismissively. "You know he'd of realized it later when the test rolled around, and then everyone that hadn't caught his mistake would have been screwed."  
  
"Hey, Matt." Linda popped up out of practically nowhere beside them.  
  
"Hi Linda."   
  
"So, um, I was wondering. How would you like to have dinner at my house tonight?"  
  
"Wouldn't your parents have a problem with a witch?" the cat interjected.  
  
"Well, see, thing about it is, they don't know I'm one," the red head answered.  
  
"But obviously this school allows witches."  
  
"Yes, that's because Moira's grandmother is the principal here," the brunette replied. "But not everyone knows that witches walk these halls. The teachers do, and any friends of the witch. But the parents can't see the familiars just by walking these halls. The witch has to personally introduce the familiar."  
  
"That...seems overly complicated," Mello said.  
  
"It is." Iggy walked up to them. "But that's the way the principal wanted it. Just don't think   
about it too hard. It's not supposed to make sense."  
  
"Sort of like the Mad Hatter's riddle in Alice in Wonderland," Linda added. "Even Lewis Carroll didn't have the answer to 'Why is a raven like a writing desk?'."  
  
"Okay. Still a bit confused, but whatever. So, basically, you can see me because you know Matt's a witch?"  
  
"More than that," the brunette giggled. "Any student enrolled here can see you. Which is why you recieved so many compliments this morning. And the teachers can as well. It's the way Mrs. Melvina wants it though. But the students who don't interact with Matt on a daily basis don't realize that you actually exist. The same with Anubis. They just see a witch's familiar, but the way the spell works, they don't question why the animal is following the person, nor do they realize that student is a witch. The higher grades usually have a stronger spell, but since not many younger than Iggy have their full status yet, the spell's not really needed. And there's very few witches in our school anyway. There are about five ready to graduate, but that's it."  
  
"I'm so frigging confused," the cat sighed.  
  
"It's not meant to be simple," Anubis said, for once not condescendingly. "It just exists. Iggy's right. It's easier not to think about it a lot, or too hard. It just _is_."  
  
"But, how did we get to talking about this anyway?" Iggy asked.  
  
"Linda wanted us to have dinner at her house tonight."  
  
"Oh, sounds like fun. If you wanna go that is, Matt."  
  
The red head shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. What time Linda?"  
  
"Mm, seven. Okay, see you then!"  
  
Mello watched her for a few minutes silently until she bounded out of sight, his tail tip twitching slightly. Then he looked up at his witch. "She might grow on me just yet, you know?"  
  
Everyone laughed.  
  
***  
  
Around six, Mello was lounged on the bed while Matt and Iggy worked on their homework.  
  
The blond yawned widely and sighed. "Y'know, I actually miss that stuff."  
  
"What?" Anubis said.  
  
"Homework. Classwork. Teachers. Things like that."  
  
"How do you mean?" the rat questioned.   
  
"The man who took me and my sister in after Mama's owner kicked us into the streets took us to a private school. Misa got popular coz of her looks and her ability to fully control her form at an early age..."  
  
"So what did you get?"  
  
"I was the smart one. At three years old, I could recite the entirety of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I was taking calculus at eight. Everyone wanted my help with their work. Hell, even the teachers sometimes asked me to do special things for them, teach lessons sometimes."  
  
"And yet your vocabulary consists of basic grammer and words like 'fuck', 'shit', 'hell', 'damn', and 'ass'."  
  
Mello ignored the jab and snorted. "What can I say? I'm lazy. And besides. If I really used the vast vocabulary I actually possess, most people would be left speechless. Even L sometimes didn't know what to do with me. Called me 'precocious', he did. Oh, L was the man that took us in, by the way."  
  
"Ahh. So, why did it stop?"  
  
"The Goddess called me by way of a message. One of Misa's kits came all the way from Romania where she'd been sent to tell me about a dream she'd recieved. She said that she saw a black cat and a red headed boy walking side by side down a forest path and the Goddess spoke to her saying, 'Find your kin, and send him to the one left out. The one with flaming hair. This is my provision for both.' So, she came to me and gave me the message." He shrugged. "Who am I to deny the Goddess' wish?"  
  
"Wait." Matt turned around suddenly. "What did you say your niece said she saw in her dream?"  
  
"She saw a black cat and a red headed boy walking side by side. And the Goddes told her 'Find your kin, and send him to the one left out. The one with flaming hair. This is my provision for both.' Why?"  
  
"Provision for both, huh? Well, there you go. There's why the Goddess sent you a furry instead of calling a regular cat," Iggy said.  
  
"Eh. That tells us why Mello was sent, but not her reason for sending him," Anubis said.  
  
The brunette snorted. "Here's an analogy Matt will understand. Why did the Great Deku Tree send Navi to be Link's guardian fairy?"  
  
"Oh, shut it," the red head shot back.  
  
"Well, it fit," Iggy laughed.  
  
"My point is," the rat stated calmly. "We may not know why She sent Mello, but we know it's Her provision for both Mello and Matt."  
  
"Goddess sent," the brunette mused. "Goddess sent..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"They say that one's mate is Goddess sent. But so is one's familiar. What if..."  
  
"Iggy, are you trying to say the Goddess wishes for Matt to be gay?" Anubis scoffed.  
  
"Not even close," Iggy returned evenly. "A mate isn't determining a preference. Your mate is the one you fall in love with because of their personality. Who they are, not what."  
  
"Yeah. But furries are forbidden from having sexual relations with humans. Especially witches," Mello said quietly.  
  
"Human laws, cat," the rat shot back. "Not the Goddess'. Nowhere is it written that any living creature, any sentient being cannot have a sexual or romantic relationship with another. Familiars obviously cannot, but that is structure, not law, that prevents it from being so. A furry is different. In your human form, you are structurally no different than any other male human."  
  
"But the Goddess also says to keep the human laws. That therefore forbids any relations between Matt and myself that go any further than friendship."  
  
"Bullshit," Anubis spat. "The Goddess sent you to the outskirts of England, to a tiny little coven to take on the role of a familiar for a boy. Why would She do that if you weren't meant to be something more than friends?"  
  
"Um, Anubis? In their defense, thinking of each other as brothers counts as more than friends as well."  
  
The rat sighed. "Whatever. Don't listen to me. Just heed this: Don't let human laws get in the way of what you feel is right. I think I'll go see if Agnes will give me some cheese." With that said, he hopped off the nightstand to the floor and scurried out of the room.  
  
"Well, that was odd," Matt said.  
  
"Yeah," Iggy answered. "But we need to finish our homework, or Mom's not gonna let us go to Linda's."  
  
As both boys went back to their work, Mello sighed heavily and scooted back against the wall. He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face against them. [i[I like him. I really, really, like Matt. More than a friend ever should. I can't help it though. There's just something that attracted me from the very first time I laid eyes on him. And even last night...I just couldn't help myself from staring at him while he slept. Hell, Anubis even said something to me about it. And all I could manage was to tell him to fuck off. I can't help myself. I'd prefer to be in my cat form, just so I could curl up with him and he'd scratch my ears a bit. And I could stare at him for hours without getting a "Mello, what are you doing?" I think I'm falling in love with him, honestly. And that's wrong; I know it is.[/i]  
  
"Hey, Mel?"  
  
The blond's head shot up and he stared at the red head for a moment.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Y-yeah," Mello answered.  
  
"Mmm, well, okay. Mom wanted to talk to me and Iggy before we left, so I'll be back in a bit, alright?" Matt stood up and paused a moment, before reaching out and scratching his friend's ears gently, pulling a short purr from the blond's throat. He chuckled and walked to the door. There, he turned and said, "Oh, and for the record, I wouldn't mind what Anubis was suggesting," and then disappeared into the hall.  
  
Mello sat there in shock, his tail flicking slowly. [i[He...he'd really... But it's wrong... Oh, fuck it. Who am I kidding? I know I want it. If not sex, just being close to him would suffice...[/i]  
  
Anubis stuck his head around the door frame. "Hey, Mello? Time to go."  
  
"Right." He transformed and leapt off the bed, padding to the door and following the rat downstairs. "By the way, why are you suddenly being so nice to me?"  
  
"I...I made some realizations. It's obvious you're not a bad creature; you've just been through a lot. I can understand that. Hell, I lived in a lab before the Goddess sent me to Iggy. I had the wrong idea of you, and I apologize."  
  
"No big deal. Even back at school, everyone thought my life was perfect. Sorta went bad when I admitted something I probably shouldn't have..."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I...I sorta said another boy looked hot. I didn't mean I felt attracted to him. It was...well, Misa and her friends used to say each other looked hot all the time. I was young and didn't know any better. I figured, 'Hey, it's alright for Sis to say it, I can say it too.' Took nearly a month for the gay jokes to die down..."  
  
"This...may be prying, but how do you feel about Matt?"  
  
Mello stopped dead and looked at the rat. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, do you like him? Do you feel attracted to him?"  
  
The cat swallowed and looked away. "I'm not exactly sure what my attraction is to Matt. I mean, I'd be content to just be close to him. To curl up in his lap and have him scratch my ears, to-"  
  
"Whoa, you're just talking stereotypical familiar/witch attraction," Anubis interrupted. "I mean when you're dealing with your human feelings and emotions."  
  
"I...I think I'm falling in love with him, but I'm not really sure. I...I just want to be close to him, to see him happy. Would I mind our relationship going further? Probably not. But I wouldn't mind if it didn't either."  
  
"Now you're just confusing me, cat," the rat grumbled. "But you're young. You have an excuse. Some never find mates; and some find friends that fill every role of a mate except for the romantic and sexual ones. Perhaps that's why the Goddess sent you. Who knows? All this rat knows is that the Goddess sent you to Matt for a reason. Whether you end up being his mate or not, only time will tell."  
  
"Yeah, or he'll randomly kiss me. Goddess knows that won't happen."  
  
Anubis snorted with laughter. "Don't be so sure. The Goddess sent a cat from Romania to England. All to send a furry to a witch. The Goddess knows all; we don't."  
  
"Mello!"  
  
"Huh?" The cat turned his attention to his witch only to be scooped up into a hug and held tight against the boy's chest.  
  
"C'mon, we don't wanna be late, you slowpoke! Iggy, c'mon, grab Anubis!"  
  
"Well someone's in a hurry," Mello chuckled as his ears got scratched gently.  
  
"Yeah, we don't wanna be late."  
  
"It's only six-thirty, though."  
  
"I know, but I wanted to tell you something on the way there."  
  
The cat's ears perked up and he shot a glance at Anubis who simply shrugged.  
  
When they were halfway to the girl's house, Matt stopped and set Mello on the ground.  
  
"Uh...Matt? What are you doing?"  
  
The red head just grinned and took the cat's paws in his hands. "Do you think it's weird to like someone so much so soon after meeting them?" he asked.  
  
"Uh...I dunno, I mean..." The cat swallowed uncertainly. Where had this come from?  
  
"Mom noticed you seemed more attached to me than a normal familiar," Matt went on. "She thought it was rather cute. I told her she was crazy."  
  
"Of course she went on to say maybe you'd fallen in love with him," Iggy laughed.  
  
The red head rolled his eyes. "And I countered with the fact we were only 13. Mel, we've got time to grow. Most familiars get extended lifespans to live with their witches; we have the same though." He cupped the cat's head in his hands and gently rubbed the feline's ears, chuckling when it caused a rumbling purr. "We can grow together. If we fall in love, we fall in love."  
  
"And if not, you'll always be my best friend, Mattie."  
  
"That's exactly it." Matt stood up and picked Mello up gently. "It's said 'Your mate is your best friend'. Then, if that's the case, best friends are as close as lovers. I'm thankful I've found mine."  
"Me too," the cat sighed contentedly, nuzzling against the red head's cheek.  
  
"Okay, now we really do need to hurry," Iggy said. "It's about 10 til."  
  
"Wonderful," Matt sighed. "C'mon."  
  
***  
  
Time passed, and before they realized it, it was the morning of Matt's 18th birthday.   
  
Mello yawned widely, stretching. "What day is it?"  
  
"According to the calender, it's February 1st, 2008. A Friday. And Matt's 18th birthday," Anubis replied.  
  
"Oh, really? Wait, if it's a Friday morning, where's Matt? Or Iggy?"  
  
"Lacrymosa Coven has a dawn ceremony for the 18th birthday of a witch."  
  
"We...weren't supposed to be there, were we?" the blond said nervously.  
  
"No. This ceremony is only for the family of the witch, not the familiars. Toby will tell us how it goes; she flies over the clearing every morning on her way home."  
  
"So, in the meantime...?"  
  
"In the meantime, we can fix ourselves breakfast. Risa will be waking up soon. Oh, and Mello?"  
  
"Huh?" The blond was halfway out of the room by the time he processed the rat's words.  
  
"Two things: A piece of toast and a small bowl of water will suffice for me. And, if you're going to leave the room... TAKE ME WITH YOU!" Anubis roared, bristling angrily.  
  
"Sorry," Mello mumbled. "I'm still half asleep, you retard." Despite his complaint, he crossed the room and let the rat scurry up his arm and come to rest on his shoulder, then turned and went downstairs.  
  
"Table," Anubis said when they reached the kitchen. "I don't want to risk falling off your shoulder and hitting the floor. At least Iggy has the sense to walk steady."  
  
The blond rolled his eyes, but let the rat scurry onto the table before fixing their breakfasts. He was setting his friend's food in front of him by the time the red tailed hawk came fluttering in throgh the doorway.  
  
"Morning, Risa."  
  
"Good mornin', mate," the hawk replied. "Don't worry, I'll get me breakfast when I go out."  
"Right. Seen Toby yet?" Mello asked, sitting down to his cereal.  
  
"Not a spot of 'er."  
  
"Mm, must not be back yet. That's a bit odd. Oh well."  
  
"You 'member wot today is, don'tcha?"  
  
"Yep. Matt's 18th birthday. I've had his present in the basement for a while."  
  
"Good thing he no longer goes down there to work on his Book of Shadows," Anubis snickered.  
  
"Hey, watch it, rat," the blond shot back. "Matt's never found anything I've hid."  
  
"No, coz the only thing you haven't tried to hide is your attraction to him," the rat replied, shaking with laughter.  
  
Mello flushed red, his ears flattening against his head in embarrassment.  
  
It was true, though. In the past five years, he'd blatantly shown his attraction to the red head, though he hadn't really realized it.  
  
"Now, now. Stop embarrasing the poor thing," Toby said as she flew in through the window. "He did fix your breakfast after all. Something that no one need remind you you're incapable of doing on your own."  
  
"Sorry," Anubis said.  
  
"There's a good cat and rat," Risa chuckled, causing both boys to roll their eyes.  
  
"Anyway, how was it going?" Mello said  
  
"Oh, the ceremony? They were leaving by the time I flew over. They should be home soon."  
  
"Mello! Where are you?"  
  
"Kitchen," the blond called back, grinning into his cereal.  
  
"Pining?" Anubis joked.  
  
"Shut it," Mello shot back.  
  
"Hiya!" Matt plopped down beside his friend and gave him a tight hug.  
  
"Anubis, don't start," Iggy warned as he sat down next to his brother.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't make a crack about them."  
  
"...Fine..."  
  
"Morning, Toby," Agnes said as she came into the kitchen.  
  
"Morning, Mistress," the owl returned.  
  
"Son, go ahead and tell Mello."  
  
"Can I just show him?"  
  
"I don't see why not."  
  
"Tell me what? Show me what?" The blond's ears twtiched curiously and then he caught that   
mischievous grin on the brunette's face. "What?"  
  
"Nothing," Iggy replied.  
  
"Mello, look at me."  
  
Mello turned and looked at the red head curiously. "What is it?"  
  
"Well... I think I like you as more than a friend. More than a brother even. And Mom said the best way was to show you how I feel."  
  
"...Okay."  
  
"So... Can I kiss you?"  
  
"Oh Goddess," Anubis sighed. "Of all... YOU DON'T ASK!"  
  
"Anubis, shut up," Mello said. Then he turned and smiled at Matt. "Of course you can. Just don't expect me to be brilliant at it."  
  
The red head laughed. "I'm no expert myself, but..." He leaned forward and kissed the blond lightly on the lips before pulling back, flushed to the roots of his hair.  
  
The blond grinned, flushed as well. "I think I've changed my idea for your birthday present..."  
  
"Aww, what did you get me?"  
  
"A game. But you have a ton of those."  
  
"Cat, are you INSANE?" Anubis hissed.  
  
Mello frowned and sighed. "Anubis... Fuck off."  
  
The rat narrowed his eyes angrily. "I'm not saying 'don't'. I'm just saying you need to be careful. Don't let one kiss..."  
  
"Seriously Anubis, shut up," the blond snapped.  
  
By this point, Agnes, Toby, and Risa had all left the room.  
  
"Don't let one kiss determine your choice," Anubis hissed. "Think with your heart, not what you keep in your pants."  
  
"He...he is right, you know," Matt said, fidgeting slightly.  
  
"Mattie, listen to me," Mello said quietly, touching the red head's cheek. "Sex is just an expression of love, at least the way I see it. And that first time... Matt, even if we find other people, I...I want my first time to be with you. That's my heart that wants that. The other...well, that just wants to fuck like bunnies."  
  
Matt laughed. "You're so weird."  
  
The blond grinned. "But you love me."  
  
"Yes, yes, I do."  
  
"I'm gonna go down to the river for a bit, alright?" Iggy said. "Mom and Toby went to Faeries' Clearing, they'll be back around noon."  
  
"Wait, don't you guys have school?" Mello said.  
  
"Coven holiday," Matt supplied. "Whenever there's a ceremony, the family that the witch   
belongs to gets a day off work or school."  
  
"So...I can have you to myself until lunch?"  
  
"Maybe longer if Mom decides to go somewhere else."  
  
The blond laughed as the back door shut behind the brunette and his familiar. "Wonder why Anubis seemed so uptight about us."  
  
The red head shrugged. "Never know with him. But, uh, now that we're alone..."  
  
Mello smiled and pulled his witch closer by the front of his shirt and kissed him deeply, dragging a small moan from the younger boy. "You know we'll be breaking about every rule in the books."  
  
"Who gives a fuck?" Matt said. "We want it, why does it matter?"  
  
The blond shrugged. "C'mon," he said, tugging his friend's wrist gently. "I wanna give you your present."  
  
"Mel...wait."  
  
"What?"   
  
The red head swallowed hard. "What if..."   
  
"Oh, Goddess. Are you seriously thinking that?" Mello said in disbelief. "Just come on." He tugged a little harder.  
  
Finally Matt gave in and followed the blond up to their room. "Do we even know what we're doing?"  
  
"...No." Mello said after a few minutes, his ears flat in embarassment.   
  
The red head couldn't help but laugh. "That's just like you, you know? Rash enough to charge into something just because you want to, yet you have no clue how to go about doing so."  
  
"Oh, shut it. Hey, there's a note on your desk." The blond picked it up and read it aloud. "It say's 'They're in the bathroom cabinet.' What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Well, Mom usually keeps stuff there. Like alcohol or peroxide, or her things... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
  
"Yeah, just a bit," Mello said. "Apparently you are your mother's son." He sighed. "Guess we better get 'em. Just in case."  
  
"In case we don't chicken out?"  
  
"Yeah. Let's go with that one."  
  
Five minutes later, Matt came back with an unlabeled box and tossed it onto the desk. "Now what?"  
  
The blond rolled his eyes before pulling the red head down onto the bed beside him. "Now, we just do what feels like it needs to be done, I suppose."  
  
Matt smiled softly before wrapping his arms around his friend's neck and kissing him gently.   
"That seems like a pretty damn good plan to me..."  
  
***  
  
An hour later, they were curled up side by side under the sheets, sleeping peacefully.  
  
The box lay untouched on the desk.  
  
Iggy walked into the room and chuckled. _I knew they'd know if they were ready or not. Their hearts knew all along; they just had to get past their fear. I think that's a much better present than a game. They'll always have those memories now..._


End file.
